How to Plant the Duchess of Cypress Azalea

The Duchess of Cypress azalea adds a light pink spot of color to your garden.

If your yard is a sea of green grass, green bushes and leafy green trees, it’s time to pop some color into that monochromatic landscape. An azalea is part of the rhododendron family and is a flowering shrub that heralds the end of the winter blues. Azalea blossoms vary in color, but the Duchess of Cypress azalea is prized for its delicate flowers that resemble a soft, frilly pink lily. Hardy in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Zone 9, this evergreen lady blooms year after year, turning an hour's worth of work into a lifetime payoff for seasoned and novice gardeners. And if you still aren’t convinced that planting a flowering shrub is the way to go, remember that a well-maintained and colorful landscape improves your home’s value.

1

Choose an area of your yard that is flanked on one side by a line of evergreens, such as pine or oak trees. The Duchess of Cypress azalea loves a mixture of sun and shade and grows best when planted under a tall, deep-rooted tree that allows for dappled light to filter through. The tree's height also protects it from vigorous winds. Shallow-root trees, including maples and hackberrys, compete for root space and will likely prevent your azalea from thriving. The Duchess of Cypress matures to about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, so plant appropriately when planning your garden.

2

Dig a hole that is only as deep as the pot containing the azalea and about twice as wide.

3

Remove the azalea from the pot by tilting the pot sideways and tapping the heel of your hand or a small shovel against the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen the plant. Pull the azalea out by the base of the trunk and settle it into the hole. The primary cause of an azalea’s failure to thrive is being planted too deeply and burying the root ball. If the soil level of the azalea plant is below the ground, temporarily remove the bush and add some of the displaced soil to the hole until the root ball is flush with the ground or is slightly above.

4

Fill the empty pot with the displaced soil. Add enough acid-rich planting mix so that the soil-to-planting mix ratio is two-thirds soil and one-third planting mix amendment and mix thoroughly. Azaleas are acid-loving plants, which means a soil pH of 5 to 6 is ideal. Alkaline soils are often found close to building foundation slabs, so try to plant the Duchess of Cypress away from your home.

5

Pull on gardening gloves and carefully distribute the roots so they fan out in all directions, encouraging the directional growth of the roots. The azalea’s roots are shallow, wide-spreading and fibrous and should grow in myriad directions for optimum health.

6

Shovel the displaced soil around the azalea's roots until the hole is filled halfway with the amended soil.

7

Fill the hole with water from a watering can and allow the water to seep into the earth. Fill the hole with the remaining amended soil, mounding the dirt around the base of the bush.

8

Mulch around the Duchess of Cypress with pine bark or a rich forest bark to help the plants retain moisture.

Things You Will Need

Gardening shovel

Gardening gloves

Acid-rich planting mix

Watering can

Pine bark mulch

Tips

Azaleas prefer about three to four hours of direct sunlight to grow vigorously and to produce a bush brimming with flowers. Morning sun is the most ideal.

All azaleas, including the Duchess of Cypress, prefer damp soil and require watering about every five to seven days, depending on rainfall.

Feed the Duchess of Cypress azalea three times a year: upon blooming and once a month for the next two months.

Warnings

Azalea flower blight is a fungus that can attack the azalea petals and buds if prolonged and considerable rainfall occurs. After picking and discarding each of the affected flowers and buds, spray the bush with a fungicide.

Spider mites are a known pest, and they suck essential nutrients from the plant. Spray water on the plant, aiming toward the underside of leaves and flowers to dislodge the mites. If infestation continues, consider an organic pesticide that prevents a reinfestation.